Life of a Criminal
by xPikachu-Princessx
Summary: "How on earth am I supposed to be the world's best criminal with you for a Pokemon!"
1. Prologue

Prologue

The majority of the kids these days wanted nothing more than to be a 'Pokemon Master'. They had it all planned out: get the best Pokemon team ever, earn eight badges, and then defeat the Elite Four.

That had been my plan too. I was going to have a kick-ass team and defeat anyone who challenged me. I would be the one you saw on TV or on the front of a magazine. Everyone would know me as Johto's unbeatable champion.

So sure enough on my tenth birthday, I set out to conquer the world with my trusty Charmander by my side. Dad had bought him for me on a stall and he hadn't been cheap; he wasn't the normal Johto starter Pokemon after all. A Charizard would be an amazing addition to my team.

Too bad just three days into my journey some people dressed in black robbed me of my Charmander, sending me back home crying to my parents.

I went back to the Trainer School to study, but when my eleventh birthday came I didn't leave home with another Pokemon. I realised I had been a pushover and should have fought back instead of stand around like a lemon while my Pokemon was stolen from me.

By my fourteenth birthday, I had toughened up but I also had a new goal in life: become the world's best criminal.

I have to admit, those people dressed in black _were _quite cool.


	2. Chapter 1

**EDIT**:

Wow, didn't expect so many hits on this already! Thanks you guys So someone asked where the OC form is and I realised I hadn't put one in… I'll add it here

Trainer form

Name:

Age:

Looks (including outfit):

Pokemon:

What part do you want your OC to play in this fic?

Extra info: (if you want)

Pokemon form

Species (include nickname if it has one):

Moves:

What do you want the Pokemon to do in the fic? E.g. be caught by the main character? (Doesn't have to be a tough Pokemon)

Extra info: (if any)

-I watched closely and grinned as the Cyndaquil showed off his awesome Flame Wheel attack. He done an almost perfect U-turn and then hit his opponent who had tried to get away. The boy threw his Pokeball and caught the Pokemon they had attacked. I wasn't paying attention to the Pokemon though; I couldn't keep my eyes off the Cyndaquil.

"That's the one I want," I whispered to myself.

This particular Cyndaquil had proved to be quite a tough little Pokemon and as it grew it would only get tougher. Now I just had to hope my plan went accordingly and if it did, this Cyndaquil would soon be mine.

I had been watching this ten year old boy for almost a week and a half now. I stood outside Professor Elm's lab until the Cyndaquil was picked by someone. I wasn't interested in the puny little Chikorita or the scared Totodile – I wanted _this _one right from the moment I laid eyes on it. I had followed the boy all the way to Cherrygrove City, where he had been training his Cyndaquil.

I watched from behind the bushes as the boy quickly fed his Cyndaquil while he set up his sleeping bag. It was nearing 9pm and I had been waiting for this moment all day. As soon as the boy was fast asleep I would creep over there, steal his Cyndaquil and then make a run for it.

I had walked a long way from my home in Goldenrod City but it would all be worth it. I had packed what little supplies I could find lying around my house so I would somehow have to get some more. I told my parents that I had saved up enough money to get a little Mareep from a market stall; they didn't know what I was really planning to do on my journey, and they had wanted me to get a nice cute Pokemon. I didn't like cute Pokemon: they made me want to throw up. I like the big dangerous Pokemon! A Typhlosion wasn't very intimidating but it would be alright.

A few minutes later and the boy was sound asleep, his two Pokeballs lying beside him. I went through the plan in my head again and prepared myself to run as fast as I could once I took his Pokeball.

Then I realised there was a slight problem.

"Crap," I muttered. "Which Pokeball is the Cyndaquil in?"

I sighed and cursed myself for not paying more attention. What sort of thief was I? I couldn't even keep my eye on the prize long enough. I stood up and slowly walked over to the Pokeballs. I eyed them and decided it would be safer to take both of them – even though I didn't want the other Pokemon as it was probably something rubbish. I held my breath as I picked up the first Pokeball. I looked at it for a moment, trying to see if there were any scratches or marks on it which would suggest the boy had had it longer. I carefully placed the Pokeball in my pocket but as I reached down for the next one, the boy woke up.

"Hey! What are you doing?" The boy scrambled out of his sleeping bag and deciding there was no time to get the other Pokeball, I ran.

I had fairly long legs so it wasn't hard for me to out run the ten year old. He chased me out of Cherrygrove City but luckily for me he disturbed some Pidgey and they held him off while I blindly ran in the dark, not stopping until I was nearly at Mr Pokemon's house.

I looked around me and although there were no signs of the boy I just stolen from, that didn't mean he couldn't catch up to me. He would have to go back and gather his stuff but it wouldn't take him long to find me if I stayed here. I badly wanted to introduce myself to the Cyndaquil – if I had picked him up, that is – but I would have to wait a bit longer. I checked that the Pokeball was safely inside the pocket of my purple hoodie and sure enough it was there. I zipped up the pocket and started jogging towards Violet City.

I reached Violet City and stayed there for a few days, making sure I didn't leave my room in the Pokemon Centre unless it was necessary. I saw the boy pass through Violet City not long after I arrived, accompanied by an Officer Jenny. I had done loads of research and I knew how to prevent myself from getting caught. One of the things I had made sure to pack was hair dye and contact lenses. The minute I booked into my room I chucked my stuff on the bed and headed straight into the bathroom. My once long hair was cut (quite messily I must say) and my dirty blonde hair was now chocolate brown. I had looked at my eyes for ages, not wanting to put the contacts in. I happened to like my green eyes, and the grey contact lenses weren't very attractive. I told myself I had to do it though otherwise it would be easier for me to get caught. I received weird looks when I left my room; apparently my hair was uneven and shameful. I always kept my hair down but now I just keep it in a messy ponytail. I doubted very much that the boy had seen my outfit so I kept my travelling outfit on.

Oh, and I still hadn't met Cyndaquil.

"I think it's safe to let you out of your ball now." I smiled at the Pokeball in my hand and nodded. I could barely contain my excitement as I released Cyndaquil onto the bed.

Only when the Pokemon emerged, I soon realised it was definitely not a Cyndaquil.

"What the heck?"

I frowned at the Pokemon staring back at me. I dropped the Pokeball onto the floor and it rolled under the bed. This was not meant to happen.

"Really? I have _you _for a partner in crime?"

The Pokemon blinked at me, made a noise and then grinned stupidly at me. I grunted and picked up the Pokemon, dropping it onto the floor. It looked at me carefully and then got back onto the bed, trying to cuddle up to me. I kicked it away from me.

"We are not friends," I said sternly. "I don't want you! I wanted that Cyndaquil! I want tough Pokemon, not girly ones like you."

An hour later and I still wasn't willing to accept this Pokemon as mine. Okay, so technically it belonged to that boy, but now I was lumbered with it. I would never just dump a Pokemon and let it fend for itself once more – that was just mean. Although I didn't like this thing, it was the only Pokemon I had.

"Let me make this clear: I don't like you but I'm going to keep you because you are all I have." The silly looking thing looked at me with its beady little eyes. "You are going to help me catch some really cool Pokemon and once I have at least one, I'm going to dump you on someone else."

I leaned over the side of my bed and grabbed the Pokeball. I returned the Pokemon and shoved the ball into my pocket. Once I gathered my stuff together I handed the room key back to Nurse Joy and left the Pokemon Centre.

"I have no idea where to begin…"

Before I left home I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to ruin whatever plans Team Rocket had in mind as revenge for stealing from me four years ago. It would also help my reputation and with them out of the way, I could become the best criminal in Johto. I didn't exactly know how I was going to do that though. I was planning on being a famous Pokemon thief, stealing rare and valuable Pokemon wherever I went.

But to do that I needed to get myself a wicked Pokemon team. I already had a few Pokemon in mind; I just didn't know where I would get them from. Maybe I could just challenge random trainers and if they have a cool Pokemon, I'll defeat them and then rob them. But surely the stronger Pokemon would be further into Johto? Like Blackthorn City, or even Olivine. Problem was they are far away and I don't really have time to waste.

Along with trying to put together the best Pokemon team in the world, I had to somehow keep track of Team Rocket and find out where they are and what they are doing.

This suddenly seemed a much harder task than what I initially thought.

A/N: Just a quick note to say that this hasn't fully been proofread but future chapters will be. I sort of have a basic idea where I want this story to go, but if you have any ideas for chapters feel free to message me. Also, I'm accepting OC's!


	3. Chapter 2

After spending time with my new Pokemon I still wasn't convinced she would be of much help. She was a low level and had rubbish moves. I would be patient with my Pokemon, but only the ones I like: and I certainly wasn't fond of this thing.

Once we had left the Pokemon Centre, I considered sneaking into the Sprout Tower to practice my thieving skills but my stupid Pokemon wouldn't go in with me – apparently she was scared of the dark. That was another thing we would have to work on: if we were going to be criminals we would have to go into dark places so she would have to get over her stupid fear.

It had been nearly a week since we left Violet City, but we hadn't gotten very far.

I had asked several people in Violet City if they knew anything about Team Rocket – I lied and told them it was research for a class project. Most of the people either didn't know anything of interest, or point blank refused to tell me. Luckily for me, an old man approached me and said he was once a teacher, so he agreed to tell me what he knew. He didn't know much, other than he had seen some Team Rocket members hanging around Slowpoke Well, which was just outside of Azalea Town.

I was excited to get my first lead so I left immediately, eager to get to Slowpoke Well before it was too late. I wasn't planning on ambushing them; how could I with a measly Pokemon like mine? Plus, she was a bug type and most bug types were useless. No, what I was going to do was find out what they were doing there. The more information I could get on them the better.

So as I excitedly walked along route 32, I had filled my Pokemon in on the backstory of why I want to get back at the people dressed in black. She nodded and made cries of approval when necessary although I was sure she didn't really understand properly. When I asked her if she was up to the task of sneaking into their hideouts and what not, she agreed excitedly. My Pokemon may be fond of me but I still didn't like her very much, even though I now knew she was willing to help me.

Why?

Because she was the reason we still hadn't made it to Slowpoke Well. It shouldn't have more than two days – three at the most – to get there, but we were still wandering around hopelessly. I had just about stepped onto route 32 when a little kid ran up to me, Pokeball in hand and demanding a battle. The kid had a measly Metapod so I was sure my Pokemon would defeat it in a few Tackle attacks. How wrong I was. The Metapod continuously used its annoying Harden attack, raising its defence and making it harder for us to even leave a scratch. The Metapod then used a few of its own Tackle attacks and my stupid weak Pokemon was down. The kid said I was supposed to hand over some money but I told her to get stuffed. Not wanting to waste what little supplies I had on this _thing_, I traipsed back to Violet City's Pokemon Centre and waited rather impatiently while Nurse Joy worked her magic.

If that didn't waste enough time already, I had to then avoid trainers on Route 32. When we did have to battle, my Pokemon managed to defeat her opponents and she gained a few levels. I think that was only because she took note of my nasty looks I was giving her.

I then convinced myself someone in this world really hates me. When he had gotten passed the majority of the annoying brats who wanted to battle me, we came across an even bigger obstacle.

Dark Cave.

I think the name explains it all really. Because my Pokemon decided she didn't like the dark very much, I had to return her to her Pokeball and venture in by myself. Even though I had a torch I still didn't get very far in. A group of Zubat swooped down on me and with no Pokemon to protect me, I had to turn back and leave the cave. Therefore, I was forced to find a way around the cave and waste even more time.

"I hate you, you know."

My Pokemon looked hurt as I proclaimed my hatred towards her quite rudely. I looked at her and couldn't help feel a bit guilty.

"Okay, hate is a strong word," I reasoned. "I dislike you."

Unsurprisingly that didn't make either of us feel a bit better. My Pokemon looked down at the floor as she fluttered alongside me. I only keep her out of her Pokeball so I don't look and feel lonely. I was still sticking to my plan: once I get a cool Pokemon, I'll give her away to someone else. It may seem harsh but I honestly don't have any time for weaklings or cute Pokemon – both of which she was.

"Where do you think we could find some really cool and rare Pokemon?"

My Pokemon looked at me, slightly confused. I decided to elaborate and told her I thought it would be so cool if I was known in Johto as 'the girl who captured/stole a legendary Pokemon!'

"A Lugia would be awesome! I wonder where I could find one. I suppose I should stick to non-legendary Pokemon for now. Want to know what Pokemon I want? Well, I don't care if you don't because I'm going to tell you anyway. A Tyranitar would be nice and maybe an Aggron. I wouldn't mind having a Charizard and an Exploud would be quite intimidating."

It took me a while to register the figure standing a few feet away. My happy thoughts of tough Pokemon were interrupted when I caught sight of the person. I was only seeing her from the back, but there was no doubt in my mind that this was the very girl who had been my friend and rival for many years. I hadn't seen her since she left five years ago to start her journey – she was a year older than me and we had always been in competition with each other.. I grinned and ran up to her, putting my hand on her shoulder to turn her around to face me.

"It's been a while hasn't it, _Holly_?" Holly wasn't her first name, it was actually Katrina, but she hates her last name so I always call her by it to annoy her.

"You know I hate that name, _Martin_."

I frowned at her and sighed. Although I don't particularly dislike my last name, I still prefer people to not know it as its a boy's name. My first name is quite girly so I don't really like it either.

"Nice outfit, if I do say so myself."

Kat was dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans that looked much nicer than my dark washed skinny jeans – mine were quite old and were already ripped and stained with mud. She was also wearing a grey t-shirt, black fingerless gloves and some expensive looking converse that had a splattered paint effect. Her short black hair had a slight blue-ish tint to it, and I was at least a head taller than her.

"I can't really say the same for you," Kat laughed.

We are always having friendly banter; we may be friends but I'd say we are more of rivals. I noticed a Squirtle standing beside her and I smiled at it. When my dad had bought me a Charmander, Kat's dad had gone to buy Kat a Squirtle. We preferred them much more than the Johto starters. Kat looked at my Pokemon and laughed.

"How are you supposed to be a great criminal with a Ledyba for a Pokemon?"

I laughed nervously and tried to think of an excuse. I didn't want her to know I had a measly Ledyba for a partner in crime. Kat aspired to be a great thief but she wanted to steal rare Pokeballs and gems. I was sure she would have some great Pokemon.

"This thing? She doesn't belong to me; she belongs to a friend of mine and he asked me to train her for him."

Kat nodded and said, "well that makes sense. So are you going to show me your Pokemon then?"

Now what was I supposed to do? I couldn't tell Kat I didn't have any other Pokemon! We had always said we'd compare Pokemon to see which one of us could get the best teams.

"Oh you can't because Nurse Joy is looking after them. Yeah that's right, my Tyranitar completely destroyed this man's Dragonite and my Charizard was in a fierce battle with an Empoleon." I was lying through my teeth but I could only hope Kat fell for my story. Now I had to get my hands on a Tyranitar and a Charizard...

Kat's eyes widened in shock and luckily for me she seemed to be impressed. "Your Charmander has already full evolved? And you have a Tyranitar? Wow, you really are lucky. Well next time we see each other we'll have to have a battle."

I smiled weakly and nodded. We chatted for a while longer as we walked along the path but then Kat said she had to go and we parted ways. As soon as she was out of sight, my Ledyba turned to face me and she was looking quite angry.

"If you are expecting an apology you will be waiting a very long time. You won't be my Pokemon for much longer so don't give me that look."

Ledyba flapped her wings and hit me with a Supersonic attack. I covered my ears and yelled at her to stop. I could already feel a headache coming on after all that screeching. Ledyba stopped and then rammed herself into my side. I growled at her and pushed her away.

"You can go now," I said to her. Ledyba looked at me questionably. "I don't need you and I'll prove it by getting myself a Pokemon ten times better than you. So why don't you just go away, or even better why don't you die!"

I stormed off and didn't look back.

…

I surprised myself by making it to Azalea Town safely. Okay so I had gained a few cuts on my arms and my hoodie wasn't looking very good, but I was still alive and that was all that mattered. I didn't pay any attention to the woman who tried to usher me into her house to clean my cuts; I headed straight to the Slowpoke Well. I didn't actually to the entrance because there were two Team Rocket grunts standing guard. I surveyed the area instead to see if I could somehow get in without them seeing me. I was about to give up and retreat to the Pokemon Centre so I could eat and figure out a plan, when a Ledyba suddenly appeared by my side. _My _Ledyba, no doubt.

"What do you want?"

Ledyba ignored my question – well duh, she can't exactly answer me can she? - and fluttered right up to the Team Rocket members standing guard. I shook my head at her carelessness. She definitely wasn't a very good criminal: anyone knows you don't just go right up to the enemy to say hi and have a nice little chat! You're supposed to be secretive and sneaky but here my Ledyba was, going up to them like it was nothing. I groaned and stood up from my hiding place, deciding I had had enough for now. As I was about to leave I heard an angry shout from the grunt and they both suddenly took off after Ledyba.

"Was she actually trying to help me...?"

I saw my chance and bolted towards Slowpoke Well. I looked at the ladder but when I tried to look inside the well all I could see was darkness. I gulped. I had always been afraid of heights and although this wasn't actually an issue right now, I had no idea how far down the bottom was. I shook my head and started climbing down the ladder, occasionally reminding myself to breathe.

_'If I want to be an amazing criminal I can't let my fears hold me back. It's just a silly little well.'_

I soon discovered the bottom of the well wasn't actually that far away and my feet were soon on solid ground. I looked around and saw a couple of Slowpoke cowering behind a rock. I took no notice of them and ventured further into the well. I could feel someone or something watching me with every step I took. The Slowpoke sure were creepy. It took me a while but I finally understood why the Slowpoke seemed so afraid of me: they all had their tails cut off. I nearly vomited when I saw all the blood leaking onto the floor. Their tails had been cut off really badly but for some reason they didn't seem to be in that much pain. I gulped and tried to ignore them as I carried on walking.

When I found myself in the main part of the well I quickly ducked down and hid behind a particularly bigger rock. There were Team Rocket members everywhere. The whole well was filled with at least thirty odd members; most of them chasing after the Slowpoke with butcher knives. I could hear the Slowpoke squealing as they were caught and had their tails chopped off. I gagged as the blood poured out and the smell was becoming overwhelming. The whole point of coming down here was to figure out what Team Rocket was up to but I couldn't stay any longer: I ran out of the well and climbed the ladder as quickly as I could. I had seen enough for one day.

I covered my mouth with my sleeve when I got outside and I tried not to be sick. I breathed in the fresh air for a few moments and then slowly walked back to Azalea Town. I vaguely noticed my Ledyba flutter over to me and as we walked to the Pokemart we didn't talk, let alone look at each other. I knew I still hated Ledyba and I was beginning to think she wasn't that keen on me either. I didn't care though: I wouldn't have her tagging along for much longer.

As soon as we entered the shop the first thing I done was look around for any security guards. Luckily there wasn't any and the shop keeper was busy serving people from behind the till. I motioned for Ledyba to follow me as I would be needing her right now.

"Ledyba, chose anything you want because money isn't a problem, remember?" I said loudly.

Ledyba looked at me curiously and fluttered over to the food. I elbowed her and nodded my head towards the food at the back of the store. I walked over to the food and slowly opened a packet of Pokemon food. I hissed at her to eat as quickly as she could while I moved towards human food. I slyly opened my bag and shoved as much in there as I could. I picked up some of the cheaper Pokemon food and small things that I needed and paid for them. If I had walked out without buying anything it would look too suspicious. Ledyba followed me out of the shop, looking at me in what seemed to be shame. I chose to ignore her – as I always do – and dragged my tired feet towards the Pokemon Centre.

…

Note: Sorry about the lack of updates. I moved house a couple of weeks ago so I was busy sorting my stuff out, and I won't have an internet connection for a couple of months. I'm using a internet provider but it's so slow and it always cuts off. I only get to use my laptop for a few hours a day and the time that I do spend on it is spent doing other things. When I do write something, I don't get to write a lot. And I have to share the provider with my brothers so you know. I'll try my hardest to update more often, but I also have to try and update my other fic, Sinnoh Challenges, which is about 3 or 4 chapters away from being completed.

Kat belongs to xbluexrainx!

Thanks for all the OC's and I promise you they will ALL appear in this story.


	4. Chapter 3

I spent the next week or so wandering around different areas and towns in Johto, my annoyingly faithful Ledyba by my side. Where ever I went Ledyba went, much to my dismay. We still weren't getting along so I had no clue why she was still with me. She could have easily flown off by now to do her own thing and leave me to it, but no. She was apparently too afraid to leave my side, even if I was mean to her. I didn't mistreat her or anything along those lines, I just didn't treat her like a friend, pet or even like she was mine.

My stupid bug and I hadn't done a lot to be quite frank. The trainers around these parts weren't that great: they had basic Pokemon and the few that did have Pokemon I wanted squished my useless bug and left me with no choice but to retreat. It was then that I decided I, Molly Martin, would get nowhere with out another Pokemon.

Too bad that was easier said than done.

I stumbled across a middle aged wealthy looking man in a Pokemon Centre just outside of Azalea Town and he was showing off one of his many prized Pokemon - an Aron. As soon as I laid eyes on it, I decided that I had to have it. Aggron were strong and were definitely worth waiting for. If I had that Aron and trained it properly, I would be laughing. I could defeat anyone who crossed my path and I could also beat the pants off Team Rocket. It seemed to be my lucky day because the man wanted to trade his Aron with an Abra. I didn't know why he would want to exchange his Aron for an Abra but I didn't care; I was out of the door like a shot and spent hours looking for an Abra.

Apparently Abra didn't like me because when I did manage to find one it just teleported away as soon as it saw me. I tried for two whole days but luckily the man was a local so I still had time – unless someone got there before me. I eventually found an Abra chilling out on the grass, soaking up the sun. My stupid bug tried to attack it but I grabbed her and pulled her back.

"You can't hurt a fly, let alone a Pokemon that can disappear when it likes. Stay the heck out of my way and let me handle this."

The silly bug thing shot a String Shot at me out of anger but I didn't retaliate. Instead I ignored her and crept up to the Abra, an empty Pokeball in my hand. When I was close enough I dove straight on top of the Abra and smacked my Pokeball on its head. It may have been a brutal attack, but who cares right? I wasn't keeping it so it didn't matter if the thing resented me after that. The Pokemon shook a few times and then stopped.

"And that's how you do it, bug eyes," I said proudly, showing Ledyba the Pokeball.

…

I tracked down the wealthy man and showed him the Abra I caught. He looked at it carefully and then nodded. We walked over to the Pokemon Centre and started the trade. I placed Abra's Pokeball on one side of the machine and the man placed his Pokeball on the other side. The Pokeballs were sucked up the machine and swapped over. I grinned as I picked up Aron's Pokemon. I was about to thank the man but he was already gone. I eagerly ran out of the Pokemon Centre and perched my self on a large rock. Bug eyes fluttered beside me, waiting to see her new team mate.

"I know why you are excited. We are never going to be friends so you want to make friends with my Aron, don't you?" Ledyba nodded, not even trying to deny it. "WELL TOO BAD! ARON IS ALL MINE!" I shouted childishly. "I won't be needing you any more so I will just break your Pokeball and then you will no longer be mine."

I couldn't wait any longer so I enlarged Aron's Pokeball and released it. Only, the Pokemon that materialized from the ball was certainly not the Aron I had been waiting for.

"What the flip are you?" I asked the Pokemon. I honestly didn't know what I just released from the Pokeball, but I did know that the man had actually just ripped me off. Perhaps I should have asked to see the Aron before I traded with him...

The Pokemon was undeniably cute looking so I made up my mind straight away that I didn't like it and I didn't want it. Someone in this world must hate me. I have two Pokemon that are sort of cute and this new one didn't look that strong. It had two silly looking minus signs on its cheeks and its body was small and yellow. Its ears were freakishly long and were blue in colour.

A young boy walked past and I called him over. He nervously walked up to me and asked what I wanted. I kicked my new Pokemon in the back and it stumbled forward.

"What is this thing and is it good?"

"It's a Minun, an electric type. It is alright I guess... Can I please go now?"

Before I could even say yes the boy had run off. I looked at my new Pokemon and it was smiling at me, its eyes twinkling. I frowned as it walked up to me and hugged my leg. I tried to shake it off but it was clinging on.

"Get the hell off my leg before I physically remove you," I warned it. The thing ignored me and rubbed its cheek against my leg.

It was then that I actually found myself half smiling at the Minun. It was quite cute and although I despised cute Pokemon, I could see myself warming up to this one. I didn't know the gender of it so I decided Minun would be a boy.

"Alright, you can stay there. But don't expect me to act like your best friend or something."

I didn't mind this one as much as my stupid bug. Everything about the creature annoyed me: the way it stared at me; the way its little wings made sounds when it was fluttering beside me; the way it breathed...

My Minun grew on me even more when I saw what he was capable of in battle. Unlike Bug Eyes, Minun could actually hold his own against his opponents and his Static ability thing was quite useful. At least, I assumed it was his ability that paralysed his opponents.

I arrived in Goldenrod City a few hours after I got Minun. I was actually going to track down that man for ripping me off but I decided against it when I saw what Minun could do. I hadn't come across Team Rocket since the incident in Slowpoke Well and I didn't have any leads either. But the minute I stepped into Goldenrod City with Minun attached to my leg and the other thing trailing behind, I knew something was wrong.

The streets of the usually busy city were completely deserted. The curtains in houses were drawn and the only building that seemed to be normal was the Pokemon Centre. The large shopping centre appeared to be closed. Not knowing what else to do, I decided to go to the Pokemon Centre.

When I stepped through the doors I was surprised to see how empty it was. The Nurse wasn't behind the counter and the few people that were in the centre were gathered around a chair. I faltered as I decided if I should just leave the city ASAP or stay to find out what was going on. For all I knew it could have something to do with Team Rocket so I chose to stay. I slowly walked over to the people and stood on my tip-toes to see what they were fussing over. My breath caught in my throat as I saw what was on the chair.

A Drowzee was lying on the chair with its eyes shut. It didn't seem to be breathing but that wasn't what everyone was staring at in shock. Its trunk was completely gone and looking at what was left, it seemed it had been cut right off. Blood was seeping through the white chair and it was splattered on its body. I recoiled in horror and thought back to when I was at Slowpoke Well. There was no doubt in my mind that this was the doing of Team Rocket. Out of the corner of my eye I could see a small figure on the floor. It took all my will power to stop myself from looking. I didn't want to know what it was because it could be enough dead Pokemon. My curiosity kicked in and I took a quick look.

I immediately regretted it.

A Vulpix was on the floor, battered and bruised. I could just about tell that it was covered in blood and the top of one of its ear had been cut off. A Vulpix normally has six tails, but this one only had two. Like the Drowzee, it was clear the Vulpix had been butchered. There were several other Pokemon scattered around the centre but I didn't dare to look. I stumbled out of the Pokemon Centre and recalled both of my Pokemon to their balls. I didn't know what their motive was, but Team Rocket was cutting body parts off Pokemon and it just wasn't right.

I looked around the city, not knowing what to do next. The Radio Tower was nearby and I caught sight of a figure dressed in black enter it. Even from a distance I could recognise the uniform. I didn't even register what was happening but I found myself strolling up to the tower. I thought it would be stupid to just go marching in there so I went to the back of the building cautiously. I saw a boy sneaking around but he wasn't in their uniform so I guessed he wasn't with them.

The boy saw me and marched right up to me. He looked to be around my age but it was hard to tell because of the extremely dark circles under his brown eyes. His pointy chin made me want to laugh but I held it in when I saw the ferocious looking Houndour at his side.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as if he knew me and hated me. I was taken aback by his voice. He was actually a _girl_. My mistake...

"I have every right to be here," I replied in the rudest tone I could muster up. "Why are _you _here?"

She paused and stayed silent. I took the time to inspect her outfit. I was surprised to see she wasn't dressed in all black. After all, she was acting like some sort of ninja. She was wearing a dark indigo-coloured jacket with black jeggings and a pair of black trainers.

"That's none of your business. Just stay out my way."

She walked off but suddenly stopped and turned to face me. "Oh and remember my name which is Frankie. You don't need to know my last name. Just remember it because I will be a fantastic criminal one day." And with that she was gone.

Ha, she should think again. I am going to be the best criminal, not her. I didn't know what kind of criminal she wanted to be, but I hoped it was nothing like what Team Rocket are doing. I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of Pokemon – I do only like the beastly ones – but hurting them just isn't right. I walked right up to the back of the tower and there was a window but it was too high for me to see in. I grabbed a bin and pulled it over to the window before hoisting myself up. I steadied myself and then released Minun just in case I needed some help. I groaned when I saw the window was too dirty for me to see in so I jumped off the bin and walked back to the front. I hesitated when I reached the door.

"You can do this Molly..." I took a deep breath and reached out for the door handle but I withdrew my hand. "Maybe I should go through the back door."

…

I actually ended up chickening out and retreating from the Radio Tower. I managed to get a quick look inside and when I saw a huge swarm of Team Rocket members I got out of there as quickly as I could. As much as I wanted to face up to them, I knew I would have to wait until I had strong Pokemon that could protect me.

I didn't want to even go near the Pokemon Centre, let alone stay there for the night so I had no other choice than to break into what I assumed was an empty house to stay there for the night. The house was furnished and nicely decorated but there was no sign of people being there that day. I wasn't prepared to camp out somewhere and moving on to the next town wasn't an option: Team Rocket were in Goldenrod and I was staying here as long as they were. I didn't feel at all guilty for smashing a window to get into the house; I had to stay somewhere. There was a comfortable double bed that I knew I was going to love. It occurred to me that I didn't know who slept in that bed so I figured I should sleep on the sofa instead.

I left the house not long after I broke into it and decided to be brave and go back into the Pokemon Centre. I needed to get more information and my best bet was to ask the people that were there earlier. A few of them had left so there was only Nurse Joy and two teenagers. The dead corpses were also gone.

"Excuse me." I got the attention of the two teenagers – a boy and a girl. "Could you tell me more about what has been happening here?"

They were both quite a bit older than me and they looked similar. They were most definitely twins. The boy looked at his sister and they both nodded.

"We don't know that much yet. We have been staying in this city for roughly four days and we haven't seen anyone else, save for Team Rocket and the others that were here earlier on when you walked in."

So it looked like people had evacuated the city and I had a pretty good idea why. If Team Rocket were doing what I thought they were, it was understandable for people leave. As much as I hated my bug, I wouldn't want to see it get ripped apart.

"Why hasn't anyone stopped Team Rocket? Surely the police must know about this." It was a good point, if I do say so myself. I couldn't understand why the police don't just burst into the Radio Tower and take them all down.

"It's way too dangerous right now." The girl spoke up. "Team Rocket are armed with weapons, but we aren't 100% sure what weapons they have. From what Nurse Joy can tell, they are cutting body parts off Pokemon with a butcher knife."

"But that isn't all. We've also heard gun shots over the past few days. Four years ago when Team Rocket first made an appearance, it was easy for the police to take them out because they just used Pokemon then. Now it's a completely different story."

I gulped as I took in the information. Team Rocket not only had knives, but they also had guns? I was starting to think it wasn't such a good idea for me to get involved in this thing. If I was to somehow ruin them wouldn't I be seen as a hero instead of a criminal who steals Pokemon...?

"I wouldn't stick around if I were you. Kate and I are leaving tonight and I suggest you do the same."

I thanked them and said I would leave straight away. It was a complete lie of course, but I didn't need two teenagers telling me off if I said I was staying. As I walked back to the house I was going to stay in I began to feel really nervous. If they left I would possibly be the only trainer left in the city. I was only fourteen, there was no way I could defend myself if I ran into trouble. I formed a plan in my head: I would stay here tonight and stay hidden until Team Rocket moved on. When they moved on, so would I. I didn't want to lose track of them, especially now that I knew what they were doing.

…

Note: No, I haven't given up on the story! I wanted to finish Sinnoh Challenges first (which is now done!) So I can spend my time on this story now! At first I honestly didn't know what I wanted Team Rocket to do, because stealing Pokemon or whatever is just basic. So when I looked back on the Slowpoke Well chapter it hit me. Can anyone guess why they are cutting up Pokemon? I hope my idea hasn't been used that often...

Frankie belongs to Crazy Amazing.

Oh, and thanks for the characters, but please don't submit any more. I have enough, trust me...


	5. Chapter 4

A lot had happened in the last two days. I didn't sleep at all the first night because all I could hear was gun shots and cries of the wild Pokemon around Goldenrod. When I woke up in the morning I made sure I had Minun and even Bug Eyes at my side before I left the house. Goldenrod City looked a complete mess: there were blood splatters on the floor and up the sides of most buildings, tufts of fur scattered every where and bloody footprints stained the ground.

True to their word, Kate and her brother had left Goldenrod City, Nurse Joy was nowhere to be seen and that Frankie girl also wasn't around. I didn't see any Team Rocket members wandering around but I knew they were still in the city.

Not knowing what else to do, I walked back onto route 34 to do some training. Obviously I wasn't planning on keeping Minun and Ledyba forever; they were just here to help me out for a bit. I was still going to get my kick-ass team but to do that I needed Pokemon strong enough to get me what I wanted. I left Minun and Ledyba sparring with each other while I went into the shop to get supplies. The shop was empty and not caring one bit about the cameras, I shoved what ever I could into my bag and left.

When I got back to where I left my Pokemon, they were nowhere in sight. I thought they had just strayed off but after looking around the area, I still couldn't find them. I stopped looking and soon forgot about them. I wasn't that bothered about finding them to be honest, I didn't even want them in the first place. It didn't matter to me that they had gone, just as long as they weren't with Team Rocket. I was against Pokemon abuse so I didn't want them getting caught up in that.

I walked back to 'my' house and made my self comfortable on the sofa. No one had returned so I was safe to stay here until Team Rocket left and people eventually came back. It didn't take long for me to get really bored – there was nothing good on TV and whoever lived here didn't have a single CD – so I rummaged through the drawers and cupboards until I found a pen and a notebook.

"Right, let's work out a plan. I need to think realistically how I'm going to get some wicked Pokemon and then what I'm going to do about Team Rocket."

I started scribbling down various Pokemon on the page and I was soon satisfied with my list. There were certain Pokemon that stood out for me: Charizard, Tyranitar, Aggron, Arceus, Darkrai, Infernape...

"There is no way I can possibly get an Arceus or Darkrai," I reasoned as I crossed them off the list. "Well, anything is better than a Minun and Ledyba! Speaking of those two, I wonder where they went..."

I had to admit that I was quite curious as to where they could have gone. It was understandable for Bug Eyes to finally man up and leave, but Minun seemed fond of me so I couldn't understand why he would go.

The next thing I knew, Minun came running through the door crying out to me in desperation. There was a cut on his cheek but it wasn't bleeding that much. I looked at him and my heart started racing.

"They got you didn't they?"

Minun nodded and clung to my leg. I asked him where Ledyba was and he pointed to the wall. It didn't make sense to me at first, but then I realised he was pointing in the direction of the Radio Tower. I swore and grabbed Ledyba's Pokeball. I dropped it on the floor and then stamped on it, breaking it half. Minun looked at me in shock.

"If you're going to cling onto me, at least hold onto my waist or something so I can run. We're getting out of here right now!"

I grabbed my bag and bolted out of the door. I had to pass the Radio Tower to get out of Goldenrod City but I was hesitant. If I went back through route 34 I would just end up back where I started and I wouldn't get anywhere. I had to head north. As I headed towards the tower Minun looked at me expectantly.

"No," I said sternly. "I am not risking my life to save Ledyba. As much as I tried to avoid getting you two involved with them, it's too late now. Just be thankful I'm not leaving you behind too."

I stopped dead in my tracks and panicked as I saw a Team Rocket member standing a few feet in front of me. He had definitely seen me and he was looking at me threateningly. Minun's grip got tighter and I started to back away.

"You shouldn't be here."

I gulped but I didn't take my eyes off him. He started to walk towards me and it was at that moment that I noticed the knife in his hand. My eyes widened and I sprinted off. I ran in between some houses and past the gym. I could hear his heavy footsteps behind me but I didn't dare look back. Being tall for my age and having long legs meant I could easily outrun the stubby man chasing after me.

But then Minun lost his grip on me and fell to the ground.

I skidded to a halt and turned on my heel. The man had also stopped running and he was grinning as he approached Minun. He had put his knife away so I could only hope that Team Rocket didn't use their knives unless they felt it was necessary. I scowled as he stood over Minun, my small Pokemon cowering on the floor helplessly.

"Don't take another step."

I was meant to sound threatening but my voice cracked. I wasn't good at fighting and even though I was always getting into arguments, the person I was arguing with was never armed. The man ignored me and picked up Minun roughly. Now that I could get a closer look, I realised he was actually a teenager and he was definitely older than me.

"You got away earlier but not this time."

Anger surged through me and adrenaline urged me to do something. I punched the boy in the face but he barely flinched. My fist hurt but I didn't want to let him know I was weak and in pain. Minun bit down on his arm and let off a small Thunder Wave - it was enough to make him drop Minun and I seized the chance. I grabbed Minun while the boy tried to regain his composure and I ran straight past Radio Tower and out of Goldenrod City.

…

"This wasn't supposed to happen!" I ranted to Minun, who was looking confused and maybe even scared.

We ran all the way to route 36 and luckily the boy hadn't followed us this far. My guess was that he either didn't see me as a threat, or he didn't want to leave Goldenrod City. I was confused though; now that I took the time to think about it, I realised he wasn't even dressed in the uniform Team Rocket members wore. I didn't take the time to check out his clothes but I knew for sure it wasn't their uniform. But he had to be apart of Team Rocket, right?

"I wasn't meant to leave until they did! Now I'm going to have to try and track them down again." Minun looked at me, not really understanding what I was on about. I hadn't told Minun about what we would be doing. "The only good thing is that I _finally _got rid of Bug Eyes!"

Minun shot me an angry look and I scowled at him. He was way too soft. Minun needs to learn that not all of his team mates or friends will be around forever. Heck, not even he would be staying with me!

"Get over it."

…

Minun did get over it thankfully. Life without Bug Eyes was bliss! Okay, so it had only been a few hours since she was stolen but I was loving it nonetheless. I didn't need a silly Ledyba following my every move, especially since we didn't get along. Minun and Ledyba hadn't known each other for long so after a few stern words, he finally stopped pestering me to go back for Bug Eyes.

I just hoped Ledyba stayed lost.

As we aimlessly walked along route 36 I found there weren't many people around. I didn't know how badly Team Rocket had affected the people around these parts but now I had an idea. To see people weren't even daring enough to venture around Goldenrod City was frightening. I wanted nothing more then to carry on walking and rob someone but something was holding me back.

I kicked a pebble out of boredom and it landed by someone's feet. I looked up and saw a girl, probably in her twenties, looking lost. I smirked and pointed a finger at her.

"Battle me."

She looked at me curiously and shrugged her shoulders. She turned to face me and then took a Pokeball out of her bag.

"I have nothing better to do; what with this area being completely deserted. Let's make in a one on one battle."

I kicked my little Minun lightly (the last time I kicked him I felt bad because it may have been a bit too hard) and he stumbled forward. He glared at me and I glared back. He may have been in love with me when we first met but now he knew what I was like he was starting to resent me a bit. I didn't care. The girl (woman?) released a Smoochum and I frowned in disappointment.

"Don't you have anything better?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" She scoffed. "You shouldn't underestimate Smoochy."

I made a gagging noise at the nickname she gave her Smoochum but I soon regretted making fun of it. Smoochum delivered a swift Ice Punch which knocked Minun out. I gaped at my fallen Pokemon.

"Get up you stupid cow!" I yelled at Minun.

"Minun aren't cows: they are some kind of a rabbit." My opponent said smartly. "Where is my prize money?"

"In a till in a frikken shop."

I walked up to Minun and bent down. I shook him and whispered threatening words. Minun shakily got to his feet and I sprayed him with a potion.

"Don't you dare lose again, not only is it embarrassing but you're making me waste medicine. Now come on."

I ignored the girl who was still asking me for money and headed north, which would take me to Ecruteak City. As I walked with Minun trailing behind me, his head hanging down in shame, Ledyba suddenly came into my mind. Images of her lying in a pool of blood flashed in my head so I slapped myself. It didn't hurt one bit and that was proof I couldn't fight.

"She is just a stupid bug," I muttered under my breath. I looked back at Minun who was rolling his eyes. "Where do you think I can find a Pokemon worth my time and effort?"

"Mi."

"Oh yes, definitely," I deadpanned. "Because I can _really _understand you. All I hear is you saying your name in an annoying squeaky voice. Pokemon are so weird."

I turned back to face the path and dragged my tired feet, scuffing my boots which were actually my favourite pair. Minun ran ahead of me and climbed up a tree. He picked an apple off it and dropped it onto the floor before coming back down. As he reached out for it I quickly snatched it up. He looked at me sadly, his big eyes shimmering with tears.

"I want it. It's mine now."

I took a bite out of the apple – not bothering to wipe it on my hoodie first – and swatted Minun away as he begged for it. I'm quite a selfish person and I just had to take this opportunity to rub it in his face.

"This apple is so good! Don't you just wish you had one?" I laughed and took another bite.

Of course, when I found myself being accompanied by Pokemon I actually wanted I would be more than happy to share my food. I never had liked sharing my things and being an only child probably didn't help. I never had to share my clothes, toys or books with anyone and I planned on keeping things that way – for now at least.

I started walking again but I stopped when I realised Minun wasn't following me. I turned around and found he wasn't where he was once standing. I dropped the apple and swore under my breath. I was willing to lose one Pokemon but not both. I wasn't bothered before but after coming to my senses I realised I did need Minun. I called Minun's name and when he didn't answer I started to think the worst. I didn't want Team Rocket to get to him before I did.

"Minun if you don't come out right this second I will rip out your insides when I get my hands on you!"

I found that threatening people and Pokemon always worked well for me. I stamped my foot on the ground in annoyance. I picked up the apple, ready to lob it at the first thing I saw when I was suddenly knocked off my feet. I looked at my attacker and saw it was my Pokemon. I gathered he had been hiding in a tree when he had jumped out on me and landed on my head..

"Why did you do that?" I yelled as I stood up.

Minun grabbed the apple and hurriedly took as many bites out of it as he could. He jumped on my head and knocked me to the ground just for an apple? I was beginning to find him as annoying as Bug Eyes. I left him to finish his apple while I continued to walk along the path which seemed to be taking me nowhere. Minun was soon scurrying after me which was admittedly a bit comforting. There was little conversation happening so I asked Minun the one thing I was desperate to know.

"Do I look like a homeless person?"

Yes, I know it's a bit of a strange question to ask but I needed to know. I had walked through a knee deep river, climbed many trees and walked through several bushes. Oh, and the last time I checked my hair wasn't looking very healthy. There was also this smell lingering around me and it was starting to get worse. I just hoped it wasn't me who smelt bad... when was the last time I took a shower anyway?

"On second thoughts, don't answer that. If anyone asks, you have a hygiene problem. Okay?"

Minun didn't look too thrilled with my suggestion but even if he didn't go along with it, I could easily convince people he had an issue. He soon got tired with walking and glued himself to my leg, which was stopping me from walking like a normal person. I must have looked like a Psyduck with the way I was walking.

…

That night Minun and I camped out in the National Park as we hadn't made it to Ecruteak City yet - the main reason being I was too lazy to carry on walking. The park was riddled with bug Pokemon which was incredibly annoying, especially when a flock of Ledyba flew past. It was like someone in this world was trying to make me feel guilty enough to go back to Goldenrod City and find my own Ledyba! That was definitely not going to happen.

Any bugs that came within ten feet of me while I was lying on the grass got zapped by Minun who was doing some target practice. Weak Pokemon could be useful when they need to be. My relationship with Minun was pretty weird actually. Some days we would get along and other days I would treat him how I treated Bug Eyes. I didn't know how I felt about him yet; he was undeniably cute and I did like him a little bit but he wasn't what I wanted. I doubted very much that if we came across a cool Pokemon, Minun wouldn't even leave a scratch.

I sighed. I hadn't gotten very far had I? I basically had no Pokemon and it didn't look like I was going to find a cool one any time soon. I had run into Team Rocket twice but I had yet to do something about it.

And there definitely hadn't been anything on the news telling people to beware of the newest criminal, Molly Martin.

I groaned as I felt two paws suddenly resting on my stomach. My eyes were closed and I guessed it was just Minun, but then two more paws rested on my stomach and there was now a massive amount of weight standing on me. My breath caught in my throat and I didn't dare to open my eyes.

Minun certainly didn't weigh that much.

The thing on my stomach was now lying on me and I didn't know how long I could last before I was flattened into the ground. It was breathing heavily and I just wished Minun would do something about it. I opened my eyes and came face to face with a Houndour. It was staring at me blankly and it seemed happy enough to just lay on me. The Houndour was very chunky which explained why it weighed so much.

"Minun, get this thing off me."

I looked to my side and found Minun was fast asleep. I prodded him but he just moaned and rolled over. I looked back at the Houndour and I could swear it was grinning at me. I grabbed it and heaved it off me, dropping it onto the floor. It growled at me and tried to sleep on me again but I moved away from it.

"Get lost you fat dog!"

Houndour growled and barked at me. I felt a bit threatened by it because they were scary Pokemon, especially when they evolve. I got to my feet and picked up my bag, hoping it would be a good weapon. It continued to growl at me as it walked towards me. Before it could reach me Minun shot a quick electric attack at it which paralysed it. It ran off into the dark but I had a strange feeling this wouldn't be the last time I saw it - or that Team Rocket guy from earlier.

Why? Because before it ran off, the Houndour gave the darkest look it could and I had my suspicions it was working with Team Rocket.

…

Note: Firstly, bare with me. I've had no internet but I have it now! The teenager from Team Rocket is an OC that someone left me, but you won't find out his name for a while. He will be playing a pretty big part in the story though. The Houndour belongs to SuperNaut and it will also appear in a later chapter.


	6. Chapter 5

I watched from behind a large tree as the girl walked down the path with her Minun. I watched her every move carefully and just wished I could move a little closer, but that would be too risky. I had been assigned the job of stalking this girl and making sure she didn't ruin anything. If she saw me walking the streets she would think nothing of it; I wear my own clothes on missions like this. I petted my Jolteon and motioned for it to follow me. I stood up from my crouched position and slowly continued on.

I wasn't entirely sure why my boss insisted on me keeping a close eye on her – she didn't seem harmful. Although she was snooping around the Radio Tower, and apparently another member had spotted someone matching her description around Slowpoke Well. She was just a kid in my eyes, but if my boss thought she was a threat then I wasn't going to ignore his orders.

Why she was so interested in us was beyond me. Kids like her shouldn't be getting caught up in these kinds of things. I was told I could approach her and talk to her if I felt need be, but for now I just wanted to see what she was up to. Hopefully the boss was mistaken, and she was just another trainer venturing around Johto.

These pathetic trainers amuse me actually, particularly this girl. They don't do anything more than collect gym badges and follow their unlikely dreams of being champions. With a weak Pokemon by her side, this girl was an absolute joke. In my opinion, kids should aim to achieve bigger and better dreams, such as what I am doing. Unlike her Minun and Ledyba, my Pokemon are something to look at. I may only have three, but they shouldn't be underestimated. They could beat her little Minun to a pulp.

Now that I think of her Ledyba, I still don't know what became of it. After I handed it over the boss looked at me like I was crazy, but I'm sure he kept it. Ledyba weren't worth our time, but would he throw away a free Pokemon? Come to think of it, I was pretty surprised when I saw the girl leave the city soon after, not even bothering to try and get it back.

Maybe she was a little bit like us after all...

I followed her all the way to Ecruteak City before I decided to stop hiding. I took my eyes off her for a few seconds and when I turned back she was nowhere in sight. Had she seen me following her? I wandered around the city before finally spotting her heading into the Pokemon Centre. I was hoping she would be staying there for a while.

Walking to a discreet part of the city, I took out my phone and dialled the boss' number. Jolteon sat by my feet and scanned the area, ready to let me know if anyone got too close.

"Boss, its Ryan," I said when he answered. "Ryan Hedrick."

I checked to make sure Jolteon was on the look out before I continued.

"Yes, I found the girl and I have been following her. Not much has happened and she is showing no signs of trou-"

I flinched and held my phone away from my ear as my boss screamed at me. If we ever dared to challenge him or disobey him he would go crazy at us. "Alright, I get it!"

I listened to what he had to say in disbelief. "You want me to do what? But wouldn't that be risky? What if she figures me out?"

When I heard a familiar beep I sighed. The boss had a habit of hanging up on me whenever I got on his nerves or didn't listen to him. He wasn't asking much, but I wasn't sure I could pull it off. All I had to do was be friendly to her and find out what she knew but that was easier said than done. Even though it had been dark when we came face to face, she still might have seen my face. If she recognises me then I've blown it. I zipped up my red hoodie – something I never do – and shoved a hat on my head that I kept in my bag for situations like these. I just hope she doesn't recognise me...

…

When I approached the girl – who was sitting in a booth in the Pokemon Centre – she gave me a weird look and I hesitated slightly. I cleared my throat and sat opposite her. She stared at me with a blank expression and looked around.

"There are plenty of free tables. Why did you feel the need to plonk yourself on _my _table?" she pointed out and asked rudely.

"Because I want to sit here, got a problem with that?"

Admittedly, I am a rude and straight forward person. I also have a bit of a temper which usually gets me into trouble with the boss, but I am just a seventeen year old. What teenager doesn't have hormonal issues? The girl smirked slightly.

"I like you," she said. "You remind me of me. But why on earth were you stalking me earlier?"

I need to be more careful, it seems. I had a feeling she would spot me but I was hoping she wouldn't. It would make this a lot easier if she hadn't caught on. Her Minun was staring at me carefully, as if it had a feeling I was the same guy who tried to kidnap it. I turned my attention back to the girl and smiled, trying to come across as friendly as possible. The last thing I needed was the Minun recognising me, especially since we're in a public place.

"I've heard about you and just wanted to know a few things."

Her eyes seemed to brighten up and she smiled widely. "What have you heard?"

I was actually hoping she wouldn't ask me that and would just get straight to the point. I really hadn't thought this through very well. How was I supposed to convince her I had heard things about her without seeming suspicious?

"Oh, not much. Just that you are chasing after a group... Team Rocket I think they are called?"

She narrowed her eyes at me sceptically. "Before I say anything, what's your name and why are you interested?"

Being an undercover Team Rocket member meant I hardly ever wore the typical uniform and I also had a codename. If I gave out my real name it would prove to be a mistake. I told her my name is 'Jet' and that I was interested because I was doing research on evil organisations. I even went to the trouble of telling her a bit about Team Aqua and Team Magma, two evil organisations that were starting up in the Hoenn region. She was still a bit wary but she nodded.

"I have a problem with them." That was all she said. Plain and simple. I took a deep breath, not wanting to flip out on her and demand her to be more specific. I kindly asked her to continue. Being nice was hard.

"Four years ago Team Rocket stole my Charmander."

That's it? She hates us because she had a Pokemon stolen from her. I wouldn't remember because around that time I was just a rookie and didn't get the pleasure of stealing Pokemon or even knowing about the Pokemon we stole. All I would do back then was petty jobs like stealing small things. The first real assignment I was given was to steal a Pokemon from Pryce, the Mahogany town gym leader. I was originally going for his Piloswine but ended up with a Snorunt which I then raised myself; the boss said I needed a new Pokemon. She's a Glalie now and because she was only young when I stole her, she thinks I'm her original trainer. I was about to ask the girl more questions when she suddenly stood up.

"I don't think I trust you. You look kind of familiar and I don't know who you really are."

Minun nodded its head and its cheeks sparked. The girl looked down at her Pokemon.

"You think so too, don't you?"

"Minun."

She looked straight into my eyes. "I don't know who you are but I'll ask you kindly to stop following me." And with that she walked upstairs to where the rooms are.

I didn't want to blow my cover so I didn't follow her. I motioned for Jolteon to follow me out of the Pokemon Centre. I didn't know what my next move was. Would the boss be satisfied with what little information I had? Well, he would have to be because she wasn't going to tell me anything else.

"You know Jolteon, she is pretty cute - even though she looks a mess. And she seems friendly enough... more or less. Don't let me start crushing on her okay? She's the enemy in the boss' mind."

…

I had no choice but to go back to the boss with what little information I could offer. I had hung around the Pokemon Centre for hours in the hope that she would come back out and I could follow her some more, but she didn't. Of course, when the boss found out I hadn't done a good job he wasn't pleased.

"I asked you to do one little thing for me but that was clearly too hard for you! You are supposed to be my most trusted, worthy member but you have let me down – something which doesn't happen often."

I would never dream of letting someone put me down like that, but talking back to the boss was a big issue. He was possibly the most threatening man you could ever meet. He wasn't one to attack straight away, but he also didn't hold back. I didn't want to risk my position in the team so I had to bite my tongue once again.

"I'm sorry boss but she is a tough cookie. She wouldn't let her guard down and was highly suspicious. Boss, she didn't seem much of a threat to us though. She is only angry with us because she was a victim four years ago."

The boss shut me up and I knew arguing wasn't going to get me anywhere. I honestly thought she couldn't do much to disrupt our plans but I couldn't make the boss see from my perspective. If the boss deemed her a threat or an enemy, then I would treat her like one. I don't know anything about her so I wasn't prepared to risk losing my position or even my job for her.

I was always the first to be filled in on our next plan of action and I sometimes even got the opportunity to present my own ideas to the boss. He listened to me quite a bit and saw me as a valued member; it was amazing how far I had come in so little time. Some of the other members have been around for nearly seven years and I have a higher position than them!

I never went anywhere without my Jolteon; it was always by my side. The boss gave every single one of us a stern talk a few months back and he said we should never let our guard down and always have a Pokemon by our side. Jolteon was my fastest Pokemon to react in situations. Flygon is my favourite Pokemon, but it can be difficult for him to hide and his agility isn't the best.

To be quite honest, when I first joined Team Rocket I didn't really know what our goal was, and when I did find out I wasn't too keen any more. The lengths we were now going to in order to get what we wanted are brutal but I have learnt to get on with it. The first Pokemon I had to butcher was a small helpless Caterpie. I hadn't cut up too many Pokemon because my main part in this was to stay undercover and make sure the police weren't around when we were.

Apparently I had to start off small. It was a hard task but the more I did it, the more I found myself _enjoying _it. Jolteon was a big help because he didn't mind ripping the Pokemon apart if they put up a fight. It was inhumane, I know.

But it was part of my job.

I was told that we were to go back to Ecruteak City, but not until the girl had left. The boss didn't want her around when we were going to storm the city. That meant I had to go back to the city and keep an eye on her, and then rejoin the rest of the group when she had left.

The boss was keeping quiet about our reasons for going there – usually we just skip past towns and cities that have nothing of interest there, or if there are no worthy Pokemon in the area. My guess was that we were either going after the Kimono Girls, Bell Tower – or both.

It was said that the Kimono Girls held the key to get into the Bell Tower, but whether that was true or not was beyond me. I'm originally from Hoenn so I was still getting to know the ins and outs of Johto. According to legends and old books, Bell Tower is where Ho-oh is. Ho-oh is one of the many legendary Pokemon in Johto, but it being one of a kind I couldn't see the boss hurting it to the extent that we usually go to. Then again, I could be wrong. We may not even be going there.

I hopped on Flygon and flew back to Ecruteak City, and scanning the area from the air. There weren't many people around as it was starting to get dark but I couldn't see the girl. When we landed I put Flygon back in his ball and released Jolteon. I couldn't risk the girl seeing me by staying in the Pokemon Centre so I had no choice but to camp out not far from the centre.

…

Note: It should be pretty obvious but this chapter is told from Ryan's point of view – Ryan being Toasty-Rye's character! I have to say a huge thanks to OpticalColours for giving me the idea for this chapter. She asked how the chapter was coming along and to be honest, it wasn't good. I had a few paragraphs written in the usual POV so she gave me a couple of ideas and I chose this one. I moved the paragraphs to the next chapter instead.

Also, I have finally decided how I am going to bring all of your characters in! In about maybe, seven chapters time I have planned a big fight scene which should last at least two or three chapters. I won't give it away but I have a brilliant idea and EVERY character will appear. Some of your characters may appear before that, or may be recurring. So for those asking, yes your character will be appearing!

Lastly, I realised I don't have a character planned to be the boss of Team Rocket... " So, I would be really grateful if someone could submit a boss... maybe? If you have already submitted a character they will still appear! If you do want to submit another character to be the boss **please send it in a PM!** I want any important details for the boss to be kept secret so if you leave it in a review everyone will be able to see it, so please don't send it in a review. PM me! If more than one of you kindly leave me a boss character and I can't decide which to use, I will merge them together. Meaning I will use information from each character to create the ultimate bad guy -evil grin- Of course you don't have to, but it would be really good if you could.

Here's the form:

Name: (include surname if you want but it's not too important)

Age:

Looks: make him seem... evil.

Personality:

Pokemon: (three or more)

Background info if you wish:


End file.
